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Under Attack for Getting the Facts CORRECT

I wasn’t familiar with a web site called “Think Progress” until it reproduced attacks on several eminently qualified meteorologists who happened to be friends of mine. The subject was — of course — global warming.

Knowing how I would feel in a similar situation, I posted several comments defending them. I also posted more than a dozen other comments answering questions from (what now to appear to be) regular readers. I was shocked by the amount of vitriol and name-calling.

It was brought to my attention yesterday evening that they are at it again. They called out meteorologist Mark Johnson for accurately stating that the earth hasn’t warmed for 15 years. This posting brought out the same vitriolic commenters who apparently didn’t learn anything when I engaged with them.

Here are the facts. While ocean heat content is the more important metric, it has only been accurately available since the ARGOS probes were deployed eight years ago.

Atmospheric temperatures are measured in two ways: By ground based sensors (HADCRUT below) and by satellite sensing of the lower troposphere (UAH). Both show that atmospheric temperatures peaked in 1998.

UPDATE: 4:30PM Thursday. A commenter pointed out that the January data is out, so I have added that chart below. The cooling continues to the point that world temperatures at the moment are “below normal.” One month does not mean very much but the trend certainly is unexpected in the Al Gore/IPCC branch of climate science. Thanks, commenter KuhnKat.

RESUME ORIGINAL POSTING: I describe earth’s temperatures as peaking in 1998 and flat to down since. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Now, if you go back to the data since the Little Ice Age (mid-19th Century), it looks like more of a plateau in recent years. But, note, the current trend is clearly down. Will it continue? No one knows.

My point is that Think Progress was criticizing a statement that was indisputably correct!

One gets the feeling that global warming is a pseudo-religion over at Think Progress. Facts, no matter how strong, don’t influence their beliefs.

I’ve said before that personal attacks, name calling, tampering with temperature data, etc., etc., is hardly the behavior of people confident in their position or that the scientific process will win out.